The New York Yankees could finally be getting back one of their biggest Bronx Bombers from injury soon, as designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday.
“The @Yankees have announced that Giancarlo Stanton is currently scheduled to commence an @MLB rehab assignment with the Somerset Patriots today,” the Patriots official X account posted on Tuesday morning.
Stanton has missed the entire 2025 campaign due to injuries in both of his elbows.
The 35-year-old had been working out at the Yankees’ spring training complex in Florida and is expected to return to the big-league club at some point in June.
Where Does Stanton Fit in Yankees Lineup Upon Return?
When Stanton does return to New York’s starting nine, manager Aaron Boone will have a tall task in finding where to fit him into the lineup.
The five-time All-Star is limited to designated hitter duties as he enters his 16th MLB season, but 26-year-old Ben Rice has primarily been occupying that role in the veteran’s absence.
Rice — who’s third on the team in home runs with 12 — has also played first base 10 times and catcher on four occasions this year.
The Yankees have offseason acquisition and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt as their starting first baseman, however, while their outfield has already been logjammed with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez and Trent Grisham this spring.
Ultimately, Bellinger, Goldschmidt, Judge and Stanton would seem like the best bets to play in the majority of New York’s contests the rest of the way (depending on injuries), with Dominguez, Grisham and Rice rotating starts.
Following a red-hot start to the season, Grisham has cooled off in recent weeks. After posting eight home runs, 15 RBI and a .292/.370/.639 slash line in March and April, Grisham had five home runs, 11 RBI and a .225/.337/.438 triple slash in May and has gone just 3-for-22 with no home runs and one RBI in six June contests.
Stanton Looks to Continue Momentum From Big Playoff Performance
After making his fifth All-Star team in 2022, Stanton had back-to-back injury-riddled campaigns in 2023 and 2024.
He slashed a career-worst .191/.275/.420 over 371 at-bats in 2023, before bouncing back somewhat last season with 27 home runs, 72 RBI and a .233/.298/.475 slash line across 417 regular season at-bats. Stanton stepped up most in the playoffs, however, helping lead the Yankees to their first World Series appearance since 2009.
The 2017 NL MVP finished New York’s postseason run with team-highs in home runs (seven), RBI (16), slugging percentage (.709) and total bases (39) and was named the ALCS MVP.
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